As a buyer or seller, it is important to have a bank account to make any transactions. Every person should open one and even students nowadays need one to buy their basic needs. But the process of opening one can be a little confusing, so people can resort to other options. One of them in fact is Venmo, a digital payment system easy to use.
You can download this app to your phone and have your account with money to start buying things. This is mostly aimed for students and families to interact easily with money. Things like buying clothes, food, going to the cinema, or even splitting a bill can be done within the app.
Even better, you can link a bank account into the Venmo system. That way, you can have another type of payment that can be done in seconds. In fact, if you transfer money that you receive to a bank account, then you could withdraw it from an ATM.
But without one, that is impossible unless you resort to another method. And we are going to tell you more about it as well as things you need to keep an eye out for.
Alternative To Obtaining Money From Venmo
College students need to have some way to make purchases, whether it is on the campus or in stores. Venmo has the advantage of making quick transactions through the app, but you need to ask first if the seller accepts this payment method. Even some online-selling websites have the option to pay from the app itself.
If you can link your account to a bank account, then you could benefit from it. You can transfer the money that you receive from friends and family from the app to the bank account.
But without one, what can you do? The answer lies in the app. You can apply for a Venmo Debit Card and do what you would normally do with a bank card. Basically, it is a Mastercard that can operate on the Mastercard Network. Meaning that wherever in the U.S that accepts Mastercard as a payment option, then you can use the money you receive from Venmo efficiently.
So this is where it gets interesting; if you possess this debit card, and have money in the account, then you could go to an ATM that accepts Mastercards and withdraw the cash. Of course, this only changes the idea of making online transactions, but it is a great alternative to get money from the app.
How To Apply for One
After you create your Venmo account, it is quite easy to apply for a debit card. Open the Cards Tab and you will look for Venmo Debit Card. Now, there are some qualifications that you need to have in order to apply for it:
- You need to be 18 years old or older
- Be a resident of the U.S (You cannot apply outside the country)
- Have a phone and a U.S number that can be used to receive verification codes
Once you confirm that you are eligible to obtain the debit card, you will also have to fulfill some requirements:
- Provide your personal information, this includes name, address, birth date, Social Security Number (SSN)
- Attach an Identification Document. This can be your driver’s license, U.S passport, DHS card, U.S. government-issued ID, or other documents.
It is important that you take clear images of these documents. If not, it could make the reviewing process slower or even denied in the worst scenario. Keep in mind that they could ask you for extra documents if needed. But if that is not the case, then you just have to wait until it arrives.
Usually, it only takes between 10 and 15 business days for the Venmo Debit Card to arrive. You will not be charged for getting the card or even for applying.
Fees Included With Withdrawals
On top of that, for any purchase that you make, you will not be charged any fees. That being said, withdrawing money from your debit card can bring some fees with it.
If you decide to withdraw money from an ATM that allows Mastercard, PULSE, or Cirrus, then you will be charged with a $2.5 fee. Additionally, there is an over-the-counter fee of $3 if you decide to withdraw at a bank or financial institution.
To avoid any of the fees mentioned, you could always withdraw money from a MoneyPass ATM. Even better, some point of sale devices function with cashback, meaning that you will get back a percentage for the purchase, but ask first your retailer if they have the latter.
There is also one more problem: you can only withdraw $400 from your Venmo balance. So, if you want to withdraw more than the maximum amount, then you will have to wait until 12:00 AM CST when the limit resets.
Expiration Date Of Venmo Cards
Since these are technically Mastercards, these work the same as normal debit cards, meaning that they expire. The cards only function until the last day of the expiration month.
Luckily, the app will notify you when it is about to expire so that you can request a new one. This notification will arrive within 60 days of the expiration date. At that moment, it is best that you renew it as soon as possible to avoid any future problems.
Select on the same section that you first applied for the debit card, or just tap the notification. Once done, it will arrive at you in the same time span as the first one (10 to 15 days).
After you receive the new card, it is important to activate it. If you do not do this after 90 days of arrival, then the renewed card will be shut down. Do not worry, it does not mean that you will not be able to use your account.
If you do successfully activate, then finally destroy the old card. Do not return through mail the old card.
Students Need The Support Of a Venmo Card
It is important to know that you can only have one debit card per account. The representative of the account cannot order two or more cards, only renew the original.
And even though you can get money through this option, we recommend that you still link a bank account. That way you can add more money to the Venmo balance. There are also direct and check deposits that you can receive from other parties that you can cash in.
Having this card will be beneficial to a lot of college students. Opening a bank account can be a complicated process, but with Venmo, you will not have those problems.